...a photoBook is an autonomous art form, comparable with a piece of sculpture, a play or a film. The photographs lose their own photographic character as things 'in themselves' and become parts, translated into printing ink, of a dramatic event called a book...
- Dutch photography critic Ralph Prins

donderdag 22 december 2011

RICK, 28 YEARS SINGLE Hans Aarsman's Photobook of the year 2011 Rick Hekman Photography

His name is Rick, he is 28 years of age and has been single from the day he was born. Rick just finished the Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague (The Netherlands) and thought this single fact was interesting enough to graduate with and (self)publish a little, but very nice, booklet. The story is about Rick and him being single. We see Rick on holiday with a bunch of girls, Rick alone on his couch or in his bed varied with little notes written by female friends of Rick. They state how nice, open, honest and straight-forward Rick actually is. The contrast between the notes, the friendly photos with or without the girls, and the fact that he’s still single is a bit uneasy but humorous. There’s a weird tension surrounding Rick’s singularity, which makes it a very good and round project. By the way; the book is designed in cooperation with KesselKramer and the epilogue was written by Hans Aarsman. Find out more about the book here.

1st note “He accepts you, right away. You do not have to prove yourself. He does not think you are strange, even if you are. He does not look down or up to you. That’s why I feel so safe, with Rick. I can totally be myself.”2nd note “He cries when he needs to, is angry when he feels like, hugs when his arms want to.”